The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1887-11-02
For The Mirror.
A Sketch from Life.

A Sketch from Life.
He went from home. a happy boy, to a
far off land to study. and fit himself for
his after life and to be in their old age, the
comforter of his parents. Each pearly tear
he shed while sobbing his farewell to
mother and father, reflected to him a
picture, where he. the proud son, grown to
manhood was home again and the pride and
Joy of his parents. With this vision before
his mind. and with manly courage and de-
termination he cast aside old grief. and
with hopeful smile on his young face he
departed.
''Oh happy days of childhood, when the
heart is pure and innocent of all lifes bur-
dens. oh that they would last foreverv'
Our hopeful son. his journey made, we
find him now among strangers. He
studied hard, he advanced rapidly from
one class to another, and it was with much
pride that he sent after each examination
the certificate of his promotion. to his
parents over the sea. 1t was on dismal
looking day in the third year of his studies.
that our student walked to his lodgings,
the happy posSess0r of his sixth certificate.
But alas his bright face clouded. as he be-
held dark letter, one so different from the
usual white envelope. on entering his rooms.
Poor boy; the first blow has come. His
dearest parent. his mother, was dead.
How he flung himself Oh his couch and
wept and suffered l cannot describe. the
sad news so upset his young mind, that it
was only by the greatest skill. that he was
saved from the living death-madneSS.
When he again appeared at school after his
long illness. he was no longer the bright
and cheerful boy of old; he was now quiet,
and his face bespoke the suffering OF his
heart.
Soon, however, his father would pay him
visit. Then he would hear from him
any last message his departed mother may
have left him; he could talk of her and
thus give vent to his sufferings And in
order to meet his parent as soon as posi-
BILE, he travelled to the port where the ship
was to land. to await him there.
l will not keep the reader in suspense by
describing those days of anxious waiting.
One week, two weeks. a month, passed but
the ship came not. The second blow fell.
The ship was burned, and all on board
lost. Such was the news they brought the
poor boy. He hoped against hope that this
news might prove false; but it was true.
and the poor lad was now an orphan. All
the bright visions of the future that he had
fOndly cherished, now vanished; all seemed
llaught and life for him could have no Joy.
He wanted to go and see the place where
but five years before he had left. happy and
with light heart; he wanted to see it it
were not all dream, and most of all he
lOnged to go to the grave of his mother to
pour out his sorrows upon her grave.
He travelled back across the waters and
to the place that was his home no more; he
silently took his way out towards the cliff
where lies the cemetery. And here, dear
reader, he found one little mound from
among the many, that was sacred and dear
to him. and here he opened his heart and
poured out fervent prayers to the spirit of
his departed mother. He longed to 90 and
join her: life to him had no more charms
After that, his first and only visit to the
cemetery. he became restless, he sought
distraction, and to drown his SORROWS he
began to drink. But why prolong this sad
story? He sank step by step. down
-dOwn-dOwn SO low, that it would be
hard to recognize in the present wreck the
former young, bright and hopeful boy.
l will draw the curtain here. for it pains
me and brings tears to my eyes, even to
think of that poor young man as he is
to-day. The whirlwind of fate DESTROYS
many happy home and often causes much
misery and woe. CHAs. Nj. MORTON.
Oct. 81. 1887.